Niagara Falls is one step closer to its first residential hospice. At a ceremony on October 19, the City and Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre unveiled a sign marking the proposed site of Millie's Place on Montrose Road, immediately north of the new South Niagara Hospital.
The land was donated by Empire Homes, according to the City of Niagara Falls said in a news release. The two partners have jointly submitted a proposal to the Ontario Ministry of Health for consideration, and the project remains subject to provincial approval and the securing of operational funding.
As Niagara Region's second-largest municipality, Niagara Falls has long lacked residential hospice services, forcing residents and families to travel elsewhere in the region or beyond for end-of-life care.
Under the proposed arrangement, the City would own the facility, while Hotel Dieu Shaver would operate the hospice and deliver its clinical and operational services.
Years of groundwork
The announcement follows several years of site-selection work. In 2023, Niagara Falls City Council appointed Mayor Jim Diodati and Councillor Victor Pietrangelo to a Hospice Ad-Hoc Committee to help advance the process.
This is a huge step forward for Niagara Falls! Every family deserves compassion, comfort and dignity when saying goodbye to someone they love — and now, they'll be able to find that care right here at home.
Diodati, who made the remarks in the City's news release, said Millie's Place will be more than a hospice — a place of peace, love and support for families when they need it most.
A family legacy
The hospice will be named in honour of Mildred "Millie" Branscombe, the late mother of Stewart Branscombe of the River Realty Foundation, whose philanthropic support contributed to the project. Millie Branscombe was remembered for her gentle spirit, generosity and longstanding commitment to the Niagara Falls community.
Empire Homes Co-Chief Executive Officer Daniel Guizzetti attended the October 19 announcement and spoke to the company's commitment to the community.
As a company that has spent its life building homes and neighbourhoods, we have always believed that a community is measured not only by the houses that are built, but also by the care it provides to the people within the community and in every season of life, including its hardest.
Guizzetti said he hopes the donated land becomes a place of comfort, dignity and peace for generations to come.
Hotel Dieu Shaver's palliative roots
For Hotel Dieu Shaver, the proposal builds on a decades-long commitment to palliative care in Niagara. In 1996, Hotel Dieu Health Sciences Hospital opened one of Niagara's first dedicated 11-bed palliative care units. Hotel Dieu Shaver was established in 2005 when the hospital assumed governance of the Shaver Hospital and Niagara Rehab Centre.
Hotel Dieu Shaver Chief Executive Officer Dr. David Ceglie said the hospice is an opportunity to honour that history while responding to the evolving needs of Niagara residents.
Nearly 30 years ago, Hotel Dieu helped pioneer specialized palliative care in Niagara, guided by the belief that everyone deserves dignity, comfort and compassion at the end of life.
The St. Catharines-based hospital describes itself as Niagara's only rehabilitation hospital, supporting more than 1,100 inpatients and 23,000 outpatient visits annually, with patient satisfaction rates consistently between 97 and 99 per cent over several consecutive years.
